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With this kind of insightful political commentary, I can't imagine why all the cable news networks aren't clamoring for more Éclats d'Noonan. [/snark] Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan appears on Meet The Press to give her impression of the importance of Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama.

I am struck by how with his beard, Bill Richardson looks like Rod Steiger in Doctor Zhivago. It startled me. I was like “That’s not Bill Richardson, anyway who the heck is that guy?” Look, you know what I think the Richardson thing means? Seriously, Tim? It means that this wonderful voodoo magic thing that the Clintons have, that they are always in control, that they run the Democratic party, that no matter what is happening on the ground or who’s winning this race or the popular vote or getting the elected delegates, they’re in charge, they’re really secretly plugged in, they got secret wires that they’re pulling, they will triumph. When a Bill Richardson comes forward, it just reminds you, the Clintons may not be in charge. They may not be pulling the wires in this race. Indeed that may be a sort of magic voodoo thing that they’ve got out there that they’re always in control and in charge. And little by little, day-by-day, we see my gosh, that’s not true. She’s not winning in the popular vote; she’s not winning in the delegate count. She may not be able to win at the end of the day, after Pennsylvania, etc., in the popular vote. So it’s just another little sound…sign that this thing is not wired and interesting things can still happen.

Wow. First of all, can I ask why a Reagan Republican would be asked her opinion of a Democratic endorsement? And then, since I know Russert has some allergy to having a plurality of Democrats to discuss Democratic Party politics, why ask it of a lightweight like Peggy Noonan? Oooh...Richardson and his menacing beard! And then this ridiculous notion of the Clintons being some secret puppetmasters of the Democratic party, secretly pulling strings to win no matter the vote. Riiiight....this is the Democratic Party, Peggy. Remember the old saying "I'm not a member of an organized party, I'm a Democrat"? Those sinister behind-the-scenes string pullers seem to be on your side of the aisle, not ours. Project much? Note that it's not Hillary on her own, but "the Clintons," perhaps unintentionally confirming that so much of this bizarre attempt at a smear (Voodoo magic? Really?) is just ongoing Clinton hate that the Republicans have harbored since Bill beat them at their own game in '92.